Toilet for passenger cars



July 15, 1924.

C. A. THOMAS TOILET FOR PASSENGER CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 31 1923 July 15, 1924. 1,501,150

C. A. THOMAS TOILET FOR FASSENGER CARS Filed March 51. 1923 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 15, 1924.

UNHTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\ CHRISTOPHER A. THOMAS, OF EAST MACON, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO EBB WARREN, 0F MACON, GEORGIA.

TOILET FOR PASSENGER CARS.

Application filed March a1, 1923. Serial No. 629,031.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER A. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Macon, in the county of Bibb and State'of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toilets for Passenger Cars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates toclosets or toilets, and particularly to toilets designed for passenger cars.

In the ordinary passenger car, the doors of v the closet are locked when the train arrives at a station and during this period the toilet cannot be used. This is sometimes a source of much inconvenience and trouble, and the general object of my invention is to so construct the toilet that the toilet can be used while the cars are in a. station by providing a container connected to the outlet pipe of the toilet and having a valve which is normally open while the train is running but which may be closed and locked closed when the train is at a station andwhich permits, therefore, of thetoilet being used without, however, in any way defiling theitracks of the station or yard, means being provided whereby this auxiliary valve of the toilet may be opened after the train has passed through the station C Other objectshave to do with the particular means whereby the valve is locked in its closedposition and the particular details of construction as will appear more fully hereinafter. My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car partly broken away to show the toilet compartment, the closet bowl being in section and my auxiliary bowl or container being in elevation; v

Figure 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the lower portion of the auxiliary container and the valve mechanism shown in its two posit-ions;

Figure 3 is-a front elevation of theconstruction shown in Figure 2; V

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View of the lower portion of the container 14 showing the valve open; a

Figure 5 is asectional view through the floor of the car showing the operating rod and bowl are mountedin the ordinary closet. I

My invention consists in mounting below the outlet from the bowl 10 a container 14 which under ordinary circumstances will have a cubic capacity of from three and a half to four gallons and may be lar er or smaller, this container, as illustrated, havingan upwardly tapering, conical portion 15 which adapts the container to the small end of the hopper or bowl 10 and having its lower end downwardly tapering and terminating in a downwardly extending neck 16.

This neck is formed at its lower end with the outwardly projecting flange 17 As illustrated, the neck is square in plan view but any other shape may be used. Hinged to this flange 17 in any suitable manner is the valve or trap 18, the valve or trap being hinged at 19. This is provided with a rubber or other suitable packing so that when the valve is closed tightly against the flange 17 nothing can escape from the container 14;

For the purpose of normally holding this valve closed and locked againstany opening movement under weight, for instance, I provide a lock consisting of an eccentrically mounted cam 20 whlch 18 shown as mounted upon a shaft 21 supported in suitable hangers, the face of this cam operating against the under face of the trap or valve 18 and position which will permit the descent of the valve or to a position where it will hold the valve closed and locked.

I have illustrated means for this purpose T comprising an arm 22 mounted upon the shaft 21 of the cam 20, this arm being slightly curved, and pivoted to thisarm is a rod 23 which extends upward and rearward and is pivotally connected at 24 to a bell crank lever mounted in a bracket 26 or othersuitable support. The other arm of this bell crank lever is pivotally connected to an operating rod 27 which extends up wva-rd. through the floor of the car 28 and has a knob, pedal or other means whereby it may be controlled. This rod 27 is provided with an outwardly projecting tooth 29 and the opening 30 in the floor 28 through which the rod passes is provided with a keeper 31 with which thistooth is adapted to engage when the rod is depressed andv the cam 20 is in engagement with the valve and holding the valv closed. By depressing the rod 27and shifting it to one side, the tooth may be disengaged from the keeper 31 and then the rod may be pulled up, which will rotate the cam into such position 'as to permit the drop ping downward of the body of valve 18. This rod 27 may be disposed either in the closet itself to one side of the bowl 10 or may be disposed in any other position which is convenient to the trainman as, for instance, the porter, brakeman or other operator on the train. I do not wish to be limited to any placement for thisrod 27 WVhile I do not wish to be limited to any particular means for mounting the shaft 21 of the cam, Iprovide preferably a pair of hangerson each side of the neck 16. Each of these hangers is approximately U-shaped in form to provide a supporting cross bar .32 and two upwardly extending arms 33.

These arms are bent inward so as to fit over the flangel'? and then extend upward, as at 3 1, and are bolted to the, neck 16. There are; two of these hangers, oneon each side, and bolted upon the top; face of each cross bar of the hanger is a bearing strap 35 through which theshaft 21 passes. This construction permits the hangers to be readily removed or replaced at any time and .beyond the valve 18 and having a square.

opening in the center for the boss 36/ This packing is held'in place by angular strips 38, the inner ends of which extend over the boss and are held thereto by screws 39. By this means the packing may be readily con nected to ordisconnected from the valve, permitting the packing to be readily renewed at any time when it is desired or is necessary. I

It will be seen that the device does not interfere in any way with the ordinary use and operation of the ordinary toilet bowl. vihen this bowl is flushed, the water can pass straight through the container 14 and clownward through the trap valve 1.8. Then, however, the car arrives in a station the trainman simply depresses the rod 27 and locks it in its lowered position, which causes the cam 20 to rise, thus raising the valve 18 to its closed position, closing the lower end of the container 14 entirely. Under these circumstances, of course, the closet may be used in the usual manner, without any possible objection. When the car leaves the station, the trainman releases the rod 27, after which the toilet may be used in the ordinary fashion.

It will be noted that the cam 20 extends all the way across beneath the valve 18 and does not merely act upon the valve at one. point. Thus there is no danger of the valve being lifted at one or two points against'the lower end of the neck 16 but left more or less open at other points between the valve and the container, but the roller lifts the,

entire valve and locks theentire valve closely against the flange 17. Furthermore, the cam 20 is of such form that it wedges as it closes against the under face of' the valve so that a very high degree of pressure is exerted against the valve, thus holding it tightly closed under all circumstances and prevent ing any possible escape of liquid.

While I have illustrated a construction which I believe to be particularly efl'ective,. v I do not wish to be limited thereto, as it is obvious that many changes might be made in the details of construction without departing from the'spirit of the invention as embodied in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a passenger car having a floor, a toilet bowl mounted. upon the floor and eX- tending therethrough and having a valve, a

' container disposed below the bowl and into.

which the bowl discharges, a valve hingedto the lower end of the container and normally open, manually operable means for closing the valve and holding it closed 'com prising an eccentrically mounted cam, disposed below the valve and engagingtransversely across its surface with the valve, means for rotating the cam including a rod passing downward through the floor and operatively connected to the cam, and means; for locking the rod in a depressed position and with the cam in its locking position.

2. In a passenger car having a floor, a toilet bowl mounted upon the floor and extending therethrough and having a valve, acontainer disposed below the bowl and into which the bowl discharges, a valve hinged to the lower end of the container and normally an eccentrically mounted cam disposed below the Valve and engaging transversely across its surface With the valve, means for rotating the cam comprising an arm projecting from the axis of the cam, a link pivoted to the arm, a bell crank lever, to one arm of which the link is pivoted, and a rod extending vertically through the floor and connected to the other arm of the bell crank lever, said arm having means whereby it may be locked in a depressed position.

3. In a device of the character described,

a container having a neck, a valve hinged to the neck and normally open, means for rais ing the valve and locking it in its raised position comprising a cam having an eccentrically disposed shaft, U-shaped hangers bolted to the neck and extending downward, bearings for the shaft and engaging said hangers, and means for oscillating the cam. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

CHRISTOPHER A. THOMAS. 

